Compounded perfumery compositions contain a number of ingredients which may be of natural or synthetic origin. The ingredients are blended by the perfumer to create the desired odor effect. Such essential oils which contain high percentages of hydrocarbon constituents such as patchouli oil (an essential oil derived from Pogostemon Patchouli) have, for example, warm aromatic spicy odors. When the perfumer wishes to include this type of note for example in a perfumery composition of an oriental type, he will use patchouli oil. However, such natural oils as oil of patchouli are expensive essential oils and are of limited availability. Even more extreme examples are natural sandalwood oil and natural vetiver oil. Although, attempts have been made to simulate the odor of patchouli oil, sandalwood oil, and vetiver oil by use of blends of synthetic perfumery chemicals, the creation of such oils having identical aromas with reference to the natural oils has not been achieved.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,120 issued on June 27, 1972, 8-camphene carbinol was indicated to be useful as a perfumery extender for patchouli oil in perfumery compositions when present in a concentration of from 1 to 200 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the patchouli oil. However, 8-camphene carbinol has the disadvantage of significantly decreasing the aroma strength of the patchouli oil and is not versatile for use with oils other than patchouli oil, for example, vetiver oil and sandalwood oil in the genus of natural oils, and synthetic oils, for example, geranonitrile and cinnamonitrile.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,422,145 issued on June 10, 1947, water-soluble hydroxy polyoxyethylene ethers of partial higher fatty acid esters of low molecular weight polyhydroxylic compounds were found to form clear extended solutions with essential oils which could be used as such or which could be diluted with water to form stable dispersions or solutions of essential oils. Specifically disclosed are compositions containing clear, stable solutions of a quantity of an essential oil and at least an equal quantity of such ethers as mannitan monopalmitate hydroxy polyoxyethylene ether with about 20 oxyethylene units per mole with such solution being capable, upon dilution with water, of forming a clear, stable aqueous dispersion of essential oil and hydroxy polyoxyethylene ether. U.S. Pat. No. 2,422,145, however, does not disclose the formation of solutions of essential oil in organic solvents which are immiscible with water. Furthermore, the ethers of U.S. Pat. No. 2,422,145 significantly reduce the strength of the perfumery material when used in conjunction with same.
Cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diesters having the structure: ##STR2## where R and R.sub.2 are less than 13 carbon aliphatic or alicyclic hydrocarbon moieties are disclosed to be useful "perfume harmonizing agents" in Japanese Published Application at J 52136927 issued on Nov. 15, 1977 to Asahi Denka Kogyo. However, such materials as these cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diesters detract from the strength of the perfume material with which it is used.
Processes for preparing alpha methyl styrene dimers and methyl homologues thereof are broadly disclosed in the prior art, for example:
French Pat. No. 1,317,412 assigned to Socony Mobil Oil Company dated Feb. 8, 1963; PA0 U.s. pat. No. 3,161,692 issued on Dec. 15, 1964 assigned to Socony Mobil Oil Company; PA0 U.s.s.r. pat. No. 191,511 issued on Jan. 26, 1967; PA0 U.s. pat. No. 3,523,981 assigned to Olin Corporation, issued on Aug. 11, 1970; PA0 Deutsche Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,101,089 issued on Aug. 10, 1972; PA0 U.s. pat. No. 3,890,402 assigned to Phillips Petroleum Company, issued on June 17, 1975; PA0 Petropoulos and Fisher, J.Am.Chem.Soc. 80, 1938-41 (1958); and PA0 U.s. pat. No. 4,081,489 issued on Mar. 28, 1978
U.s. pat. No. 4,081,489 discloses an improved process for the production of compounds having the formula ##STR3## wherein R is independently hydrogen or methyl by contacting a compound of Formula I: ##STR4## where mixture of compounds of Formula I, wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, with a sulfuric acid catalyst at a temperature of 100.degree. to 225.degree. C. which comprises employing a catalyst consisting essentially of about 0.05 up to about 3 weight percent based on the weight of the compound or mixture of compounds of Formula I, of 90 to 98% concentrated sulfuric acid.
Nothing in the prior art teaches the use of alpha methyl styrene dimers, methyl homologues thereof or hydrogenated derivatives thereof as perfume diluents or as perfume extenders. Furthermore, nothing in the prior art teaches the use of hydrogenated derivatives of such alpha methyl styrene dimers or methyl homologues thereof.